A COUNCIL’S decision to cut back on financial support for museums has been branded ‘outrageous’ by one of the West Devon attractions affected.

West Devon Borough Council has cut business rate relief for local heritage charities, leaving both the Museum of Rural Life in Okehampton and Tavistock Museum hundreds of pounds worse off this year.

Currently heritage organisations, as charities, get 80 per cent rate relief, with the remaining 20 per cent at the discretion of the local authority. The borough council used to meet this cost in full, but is now asking museums to pay 10 per cent themselves.

‘The cut represents 3 per cent of our income, so it is a massive hit and one that we didn’t expect,’ said Museum of Dartmoor Life manager Keri Quertier. ‘When West Devon Borough Council closed down the tourist information centre in Okehampton and north Dartmoor we took it on, so it is absolutely outrageous that they can now go and do this to us.

‘It is so inconsistent across Devon too, because some borough and district councils have carried on the relief but West Devon have withdrawn it.’

She said the change would mean the museum would have to cut back on the activities it offered for children and vulnerable people. They might also have to put their admission prices up in the next year.

‘We have started doing dementia-friendly workshops which are brand new and which we have been told there is a tremendous demand for. We don’t get any funding for that, so that means they may have to go, sadly, along with the activities we do for children.’

Tavistock Museum has also been affected by the change, which started at the beginning of the financial year in April.

Museum manager Roderick Martin said the decision had come as ‘a huge shock’ to the museum, which does not currently charge admission.

‘The museum has become an enquiry centre for local tourism since the borough council pulled the plug three years ago on the tourist information office in Tavistock,’ he said.

‘Every day we give information to tourists and hand out leaflets about accommodation, places to eat, walks and attractions. The only benefit we have ever had from the borough council was the discretionary grant so it is particularly galling to find that half of that has now gone. It is not going to change our policy in helping tourists but I will be very disappointed if our West Devon Borough Council councillors representing the Tavistock wards do not support us by getting our full grant restored.’

The museums have joined forces to petition their local councillors to get the decision reversed. They are also calling on their MPs, Tavistock’s Geoffrey Cox and Okehampton’s Mel Stride, to weigh in on their behalf.

‘We have contacted West Devon councillors in Okehampton and have got nowhere, so I have now decided I’ll write to Mel Stride and see if he can come up with something,’ said Ms Quertier. ‘I know Tavistock are meeting with Geoffrey Cox, so hopefully between us we can put on some pressure to get this changed.’

The change has also affected The Robey Trust, which restores traction engines and steam rollers and stages an annual event showcasing them in Tavistock each June.

Founder Dave Davis said he was facing a business rates bill for £660 for the first time ever since he set up his charity 34 years ago. He questioned why his charity should pay business rates at all, when his premises were situated on a private road without street lights or a council refuse collection.

‘It is a massive blow for us and has really sent us reeling,’ he said. ‘That money is critical to us and cannot really be found elsewhere. If there’s not enough money, certain restoration projects will simply gather dust, and two or three projects have had to stop entirely because the money just isn’t there.’

He said he was worried that the council might drop the discretionary relief completely the following year. ‘This time next year we could be facing a bill for £1,300, our whole future really is at stake,’ he added.

Leader of West Devon Borough Council Philip Sanders said: ‘The council recognises the valuable contributions that these two organisations make to Okehampton and Tavistock and the difficulties that this will cause them. We have always, and will continue to, support charitable organisations and will be in touch with the two organisations concerned’.